Client Partner

A strategic client in the MENA region, having established Merkle as a strategic partner for experience services, has led us to identify the need for a senior Client Partner to manage this key strategic relationship. Your mission will be to become a trusted advisor, consult on end-to-end experience transformation, ensure we deliver world class solutions and ultimately grow a more integrated offering that brings the best of dentsu to bear on the client’s biggest strategic problems. We’re expecting this client to grow substantially over the medium term, generating significant growth in client income and profitability to be positioned amongst the largest in the EMEA region, and are therefore looking for a commercial leader who thrives on spotting opportunities, cross selling, and closing new business. You’ll be a natural collaborator and enjoy working in a matrixed environment across multiple markets and time zones yet equally happy to roll up your sleeves locally.

Responsibilities:

Client Relationship Management

• Overall leadership of the client relationship cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with their most senior stakeholders Act as a trusted advisor and strategic partner through a deep understanding of customer experience with data and technology at the heart of their solutions
• Develop and deliver the annual and quarterly business plans for the client ensuring that Merkle delivers against all the agreed KPI’s
• Build a proactive best-in-class client approach focused on driving exceptional service resulting in great client satisfactions scores

Business Development

• Identify new business opportunities by deeply understanding client requirements and cross selling across Merkle and dentsu
• Drive relevant new business initiatives in conjunction with the sales teams
• Lead our overall ‘story’ on RFP’s and pitch presentations
• Expertly navigate complex contract negotiation

People & Partnerships

• Manage an integrated and motivated team around the clients objectives and culture
• Build and maintain relationships with relevant industry leaders in effort to widen network of prospective clients.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration when necessary to aid in the development of brief and RFP responses.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of customer experience transformation including commerce, data, technologies and platforms
• Ideally experience from a global professional services / consulting background, well versed in commercial pricing and models
• Ideally experience in the MENA region, particularly in KSA, leading client account teams and/or experience delivery teams in this region
• Strong evidence of growing client accounts and cross selling opportunities to increase revenue
• Proactivity and salesmanship is critical, ability to focus on areas of highest impact and drive opportunities through to closure
• Natural curiosity and openness, with a big dose of fun, is what will make you successful. The solutions we deliver are big and the strategies behind them can be exhausting, so knowing how to have fun will go a long way and ensure you’re a leader in this highly competitive client marketplace
• Energy, curiosity and the desire to learn about the whole customer journey is a must
• You’re not a subject matter expert, but you are a connector to our different teams and must be excited at bringing new capabilities to your client
• Examples of challenging clients and driving change to bring new opportunities as their partner
• Getting into detail around solutions and leading on pitches